Crumbling Angus roads are showing an accelerating rate of deterioration as pothole problems mount up for the under-pressure council.
New data has revealed the worsening state of A, B and C-class routes across the county which has seen the authority slip out of the top tier of the road condition league tables for Scottish councils.
The figures have brought a warning drivers could be facing greater danger on poorly maintained routes if steps are not take to put the brakes on the decline in road condition.
Just days after councillors agreed to pump an extra £750,000 into the Angus roads maintenance budget, a Scottish Road Maintenance Condition Survey delivered to communities committee councillors has shown the Angus slide out of the top eight Scots councils to eleventh position.
In 2017/18 23.4 kilometres of Angus roads were resurfaced.
Roads and transport service leader Walter Scott’s report said good practice suggests roads should be resurfaced once every 40 years, equating to 45km per annum in Angus.
“Our rate of surfacing is on average once every 77 years approximately.
“Realistically budgets would need to be much higher to reduce this figure and few if any local roads authorities achieve this.
“An alternative proof of performance of our road network may be taken from reasonably good SRMCS rates and reasonably low claim settlement rates, the latter of which Angus achieves,” he added.
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Surface dressing rates were further from the good practice rates, with the 52km tally less than a third of the 180km which would have to be completed if the council was hitting the good practice target of every ten years.
Benchmark figures showed the Angus spend per km to have risen to £9,046 in 2017/18 from £8639 the previous year. Last year’s figure was exactly £1,500 below the Scottish average.
Dundee was Scotland’s third highest spender at £20,120 per km.
Mr Scott’s report warned further budget pressures would likely lead to a slide down the SRMCS results table.
“This will correspond with increased risks of claims for damage, increased concerns for road safety, as well as customer satisfaction and the council’s reputation,” he said.
“More reactive pothole filling in future years is the most likely response, which is less efficient and cost effective.”
Angus Provost Ronnie Proctor said he was concerned that despite a “good, strong roads maintenance regime” that the condition of Angus roads was continuing to deteriorate.
“If roads maintenance slips further it might lead to them becoming dangerous to motorists and pedestrians alike,” said the Kirriemuir Conservative.
